


Until We Meet Again

by Mighty_Penguin_96



Series: Finding Our Way [3]
Category: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: Angst, Best Friends, Companions, Fluff, They will figure it out, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things, Trauma, about to raise hell, idiot boys, just trying to make ends meet, on an adventure together, they're doing their best
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-27
Updated: 2020-03-29
Packaged: 2021-03-01 07:28:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,081
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23347672
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mighty_Penguin_96/pseuds/Mighty_Penguin_96
Summary: How Cedus and Imino became best friendsAnd then how everything falls apartGoddamnit.
Series: Finding Our Way [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1679221
Kudos: 1





	1. The Pickpocket

**The 21st of Second Seed, 4E 197**

“Bits and baubles for sale! Pretty jewelry for your pretty lady!”

A 17 year old Cedus stood in the center of the marketplace, staring at everything half in awe, half in disdain. It was completely different from High Rock here- different accent, different views and beliefs, different clothes, different everything.

He shifted, messing with his belt. He didn’t think he’d ever get used to the coarse fabric that made up the majority of the common tunics here. They itched at his skin much more than the clothes from High Rock did, but everyone looked at him funny if he wore those out and about now.

Mother had sent him into the marketplace to get vegetables and meat for dinner tonight. He reached down into his pocket to grab his coin purse, only to find a second hand in his pocket.

He grabbed the hand, turning around, furious.

A tiny redguard boy with hollow cheeks and sunken eyes stumbled back, ripping his hand away, and turned to flee, only to run straight into one of the city guard.

“What do we have here?” The guard said, grabbing onto the boy. “By the looks of you, I’d say you’re Amren’s son, correct? But Amren would never raise a pickpocket. We can figure it out while you’re in the Dragonsreach Dungeon, though-”

“No!” Cedus’s voice rang out, causing all of the chatter in the marketplace to cease. Everyone watched the scene unfold. Cedus cleared his throat. “I apologize, sir, for my… _friend’s_ actions. We, uh, do that to each other! To play pranks. It’s… fairly common.”

“No we don’t! I don’t even know-”

“Ha ha!” Cedus forced out awkwardly. “This is just like him, always cracking jokes!” Cedus tried to punch the boy’s arm in a friendly way, but may have _accidentally_ put too much force behind it. “No need for the dungeon, sir! I’ll take him home, and be sure to tell his parents about how his prank went wrong this time!”

The guard looked between Cedus and the boy, shook his head, and released him. “Honestly, it was a failed pickpocket. I don’t have time for this. Go on, then!” And with that, he turned around and left.

The boy stumbled towards Cedus, who caught him. The boy wrenched himself away.

“I didn’t need your help!”

“If I didn’t help you, you’d be on your way to the dungeon right now, and your parents would have to pay your fine. Judging by your clothes and size, I’d say they can’t afford to spend that much money at the moment.”

The boy spat in Cedus’s face. “Fuck you! You don’t know anything about my family!”

Cedus sighed, wiping the spit off. “Would you like to get some food with me from the inn? Mother sent me to get ingredients for dinner, but I still have time before I have to be back.”

The boy started protesting before his stomach growled loudly, causing him to flush.

“Come on, then. I still have yet to try Hulda’s food. I heard it’s really good.”

* * *

Within moments, they were seated at a table in The Bannered Mare, looking at a menu.

“Are you sure-”

“Yes, I’m sure you can get anything you’d like. I have my allowance, I can afford it. This is the fourth time you’ve asked.”

The boy flushed again, and ducked his head down behind the menu.

“Have you boys decided what you want to eat?” Hulda asked.

“Yes, ma’am,” the boy said quietly. “Can I please get stew? With, um… with half a loaf of bread on the side?”

“Sure thing. And for you?”

“May I please get the salmon plate?”

“Do either of you want anything to drink?”

“Water?” The boy asked.

“Water for me as well.”

Hulda nodded, walking off.

“What’s your name?” Cedus finally asked.

“Imino. Yours?”

“Cedus. Spelt with a C, not an S.”

“That doesn’t sound like a Nord name.”

“I’m not a Nord,” Cedus replied. “I’m Breton, from High Rock. I thought everyone knew.”

“No, I’ve never seen you before.”

“Well, my family did just move a couple weeks ago. This is my second time in the city.”

“Oh.”

Hulda came back holding all the food.

“How much do I owe you?” Cedus asked. Hulda just waved him away.

“It’s on the house. I’ve never seen you before, but you,” She pointed at Imino. “You’re Amren’s boy. I know times are being hard on your family, with the passing of your grandfather. My condolences. If there’s anything I can do to help, please let me know.

Your father is a good man.”

Imino nodded in acknowledgement.

“Thank you, ma’am,” Cedus said. Hulda nodded and went back to the bar.

Poor Imino looked like he was trying to eat slowly, but the food was gone in minutes, leaving him with a shiny plate- he mopped up what was left of the stew with his bread- and the hiccups. Cedus laughed and gave him half of his plate.

“You’re sure?” Imino asked.

“Absolutely.”

Thankfully, Imino ate this slower, taking sips of his water in between bites.

“I really appreciate this,” Imino said with a mouthful of food. He swallowed. “I’m sorry I tried to rob you. I was gonna use the money to buy food for my family. My little sister cries all the time because she’s hungry, and then Ma gets upset at her for crying, and Pa is doing his best to provide for us, but he hurt his back a while ago when he was hunting with Pop, so he can’t find work.” He looked down. “Pop passed about two months ago, and we’ve been struggling since then. I’m not sure what to do.”

“I… don’t know. I can ask my parents if we can help-”

“No, no, Pa would kill me if we got help from anyone! He said that a man who has to use people as a crutch is no man at all.”

“Well that’s stupid. What’s the point of having a community if you don’t help each other?”

“Um… Friends?”

“Friends help each other,” Cedus declared firmly. “And we’re friends now. So I’m gonna help you. Your father can suck it.”


	2. The Bandits

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They're so very stupid

**The 22nd of Second Seed, 4E 197**

Imino woke up to the sound of his father opening the door.

“Does a boy named Imino live here?”

“Yes, he’s my son. I am Amren. Can I help you?”

“Hello, sir, my name is Cedus Maleey. My parents and I moved to a farm just by the Western Watchtower about three weeks ago. Yesterday evening Imino had dinner with my family, and he really seemed to enjoy the food my mother made, so she sent me with the leftovers because she thinks they’ll go bad before we can eat it.”

“That’s kind of you, kid, but we don’t need any help-” 

“Oh, I didn’t mean to make it seem like that, I’m sorry, sir.” Imino peeked over the railing of the loft to see Cadus bowing to his father. “No, my mother said that you all would be doing us a tremendous favor by taking the food, because we haven’t quite figured out Skyrim’s system for waste yet, so we’re trying to waste as little as possible. And, like I said, Imino really enjoyed the food, so I- we, I mean, figured the rest of you might like it as well! It most likely doesn’t even hold a candle to Redguard cuisine, but it is genuine cuisine from High Rock!”

Amren sighed. “You’re persistent, kid. I…” 

Saffir approached from behind, and whispered something in Amren’s ear.

“Thank you, Cedus. We would be happy to help your family out in your time of need, and to adjust to the customs of Skyrim. I remember when Saffir and I were doing our best to adjust,” Amren said, taking the pot of food from him.

Imino laid back down next to Braith, smiling.

Pa could, as Cadus said, suck it.

* * *

**The 1st of Mid Year, 4E 197- Before Noon**

“So, I found a bounty at the inn. I think Hulda meant to get to it, but I swiped it before she could,” Imino said.

The sun reflected off the water of the creek into their eyes as the pair waded, trying to catch fish for Cedus’s family.

“What’s the bounty for?”

Cedus was bent over the water, his pants rolled up to his knees. His shirt had been abandoned farther down the bank due to the heat, and he crouched, hands out, prepared to grab anything that tried to swim past. Imino had to remind himself not to stare at the way the muscles in his back rippled, enhanced by the sheen of sweat.

“There’s a small group of bandits at White River Watch that’s been harassing travelers. They’re holed up in a cave, so if we’re quiet enough, we could probably take them all out before they even knew we were there-”

Imino was interrupted by a splash, then a crow of pride. “I got another one!” Cedus cheered, turning around to show Imino. “Where’s the basket?” He asked, holding onto the wiggling fish with both hands. Imino held out the basket to him, and closed the lid after Cedus dropped it in. He wiped his hands dry on his trousers. “Come sit with me?”

They sat on the bank of the creek, their feet still in the water, the current moving around them lazily.

“Do you really think you could take the life of another person?” Cedus asked quietly.

“Don’t the Companion’s do it all the time?”

“I mean, I guess, but that’s gotta weigh heavily on them, don’t you think?”

“I haven’t really thought about it.”

“And that’s the issue, I think. You’re only 14, Imino. I don’t want that weighing on you. It can mess you up real bad.”

“You say that like you have experience.”

Cedus sighed, leaning back on his elbows, the sun shining on his chest.

“Back when we lived in High Rock… just before we moved. I was at home alone, and a thief broke into the house. I have no idea if he was a novice, or if he was just really bad at what he did, but when I caught him, instead of running, he fought. He ended up pinning me down, and he had a knife. I grabbed the nearest thing I could, and hit his head with it as hard as I could.” Cedus took a shuddering breath. “I had grabbed a book, and he fell off of me. I grabbed his knife from him, and he tried to attack me again, and I… I stabbed him, right in the throat. I watched him die, Imino. I watched the life leave his eyes. And the only thing I could do was pray for his soul, because it was my fault.”

“Cedus, that’s not your fault. He attacked you. You acted in self defense.”

“I suppose. But it still haunts me.”

“You don’t have to come with me, then, but the bounty would be enough to get Braith the new clothes she needs, plus dinner for at least a week. She got taller, and now she’s wearing my old clothes, and Lars has been teasing her about it.”

“Come on, we need to finish catching fish for dinner.”

* * *

**The 1st of Mid Year, 4E 197- After Dusk**

The sun was setting on the horizon when Imino stepped out of his house. His father’s old armor hung on his body in awkward ways, unfit for how thin he was for his size. He adjusted the chestplate as he stepped onto the walkway, heading towards the blacksmith.

Adrianne was hammering at a piece of armor when Imino walked up to her.

“Hey, kid, how’s it going?”

“Good. I was wondering if I could borrow some weapons from you? I’m planning on going… hunting.”

“Hunting, eh?” Adrianne looked up, wiping sweat off her forehead. “So, a dagger, a bow and some arrows?”

“Yeah. Two daggers would be preferred, though.”

“I forgot about that. You Redguards’ with your weird fighting style.” Adrianne sighed. “Ulfberth would have my head if he knew I was even considering this, kid. Give me a second.” She walked to the display near the door to the shop, grabbed two steel daggers, a quiver of iron arrows, and a hunting bow. “Be safe, and bring them back within a day, okay?”

“Will do. Thank you, Adrianne.” Imino shouldered all the items and stepped back, walking into someone.

“So, you actually believed I’d let you go by yourself?” Cedus said from behind him. Imino looked at him, flushing. “I’m not letting you do something as stupid as that.”

“You can’t stop me from going,” Imino declared.

Cedus shook his head. “Wouldn’t dream of it. I’m giving you backup.”

“You… oh. Thank you.”

“Of course. My horse is waiting by the stables. Let’s go?”

They walked in silence after bidding farewell to Adrianne. Cedus had a short sword and a barrel lid strapped to his back, and a random piece of metal tied to his chest underneath his tunic.

As they mounted Cedus’s horse, Imino couldn’t help but laugh at how odd they must look- a pair of gangly, not quite grown boy-men, wearing ‘armor’ that probably wouldn’t even stop a skeever from hurting them.

The saddle was definitely not big enough for the both of them, so Imino was awkwardly clinging onto Cedus, resting his head against the back of his shoulders.

“So what’s your plan?” Cedus asked as they got closer to White River Watch.

“Um… I was honestly just planning on sneaking through until I could get to the guy who the bounty is for.”

“Sounds fair,” Cedus said, stopping the horse. Imino hopped off, and waited as Cedus tied up the horse to a nearby tree. They started walking towards the cave.

Thankfully, the sun was well below the horizon, at this point, so as they drew near to the campfire, they both crouched in the shadows, clinging to the underbrush just behind them.

It was going fine, until Imino stepped on a twig. They both froze, holding their breath.

“Did you hear that?” The man nearest to them asked, looking around. 

“It was probably just the wolves,” The sentry by the entrance of the cave said, not even looking up. 

“You’re probably right,” said the man, turning his back to the two boys. 

Cedus tapped Imino, signalling him to keep moving. They made it to the stairs without an issue, but with how exposed the stairs were, it’d be impossible to get up without being seen.

Imino reached down to grab a stone just by his foot. He looked at Cedus, mimed throwing it, and then pointed to the cave entrance. 

Cedus shook his head, pointing at the sentry. He grabbed the stone from Imino, pointed again, and drew a finger against his throat.

Imino swallowed, weighing it out in his head before nodding, and drawing his daggers.

Cedus reared his hand back before chucking the stone as hard as he could away from them. The man by the campfire shouted in surprise.

“I’m gonna check that out,” He called. The sentry made a noise of acknowledgement, still not looking up.

Imino creeped up behind the sentry, and stood there.

Could he actually do this?

The sentry turned for whatever reason, and saw Imino there. Without hesitating, the sentry drew his sword, and swung at Imino, who was still frozen in place. Cedus tackled him to the ground, drawing his short sword and swinging at the sentry.

“Get inside!” Cedus snapped. Imino scrambled off the ground and started moving towards the entrance before hearing Cedus cry out in pain.

With his shield still on his arm, Cedus held his hand up to his eye. Imino could see the blood oozing between his fingers as Cedus swung again with his sword.

There was no hesitation this time- Imino charged in, taking the sentry by surprise. He wailed on him, swinging both daggers with such speed that it only overwhelmed the sentry. The sentry’s sword clattered away from them, and Imino stabbed him with both daggers.

The sentry fell to the ground as Imino turned and grabbed Cedus, hauling him inside.

There was a fire, a table, and an empty chair directly inside the cave. Imino sat Cedus on the chair, panicking.

“We don’t have much time,” Cedus hissed.

“I know, I know, let me see your eye.”

“No, no, I can’t open it. It fucking hurts.”

“I’d assume so! Let me see it, we have to get something to dress it until we can get you to a healer!”

Cedus dropped his hand, and Imino felt his stomach churn. The cut had only just missed his eye, but blood was still dripping from it, although much slower now. Frantic, Imino grabbed a bandage roll from his knapsack and started wrapping it sloppily around half of Cedus’s head. 

“I’m back!” Someone from outside shouted. “I think it was just some wolves, I ended up taking them out- I got us some extra food!”

Imino grabbed Cedus and pulled him deeper into the cave. They could hear the man outside find the body of the sentry, and curse at the sky, but he didn’t come inside. They both sighed in relief, until they realized just how trapped they were.

“Should we try to get out?” Imino asked.

“No. Your family needs the money, we’re in too deep already. Let’s keep going.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah. Come on, the cave can’t have too many of those fuckers, right?”

They ventured further into the cave, quietly stepping over the prone sleeping bodies in different bedrolls. 

“I just thought of something, Cedus,” Imino whispered.

“Yeah?”

“How are we supposed to prove that we took care of the dude? You don’t think we have to bring back his head or something, do we?”

“Um, I really hope not. Maybe just his weapon will suffice?”

“Thank Ruptga. I don’t think I could handle taking back his head.”

They walked towards an opening to a balcony on the side of the mountain. Outside sat a man in full heavy armor, writing in a journal.

“Is that him?” Cedus whispered.

“I think so,” Imino whispered back.

“You kids do know that I can hear you, correct?” The man said, his voice slightly muffled by the helmet.

“Oh, shit,” Cedus mumbled.

The bandit chief stood up, walking towards them.

“How old are you two?”

“That’s none of your fucking business,” Imino declared, ignoring Cedus hissing at him in warning.

“Damn, you got balls, kid. Not only did you two infiltrate a bandit camp dressed like that,” he gestured to them. “You also have the gall to be defiant as you stare death in the face.”

“If this is staring death in the face,” Imino said, drawing his bow and notching an arrow. “I’d like to say that I thought he’d be taller.” He let the arrow loose, and it hit the bandit in the center of his head, making him stumble back, yet the arrow fell to the ground, useless.

The bandit yelled, drawing his greatsword. “You are a fool!”

“Good thing I ain’t a clown!” Imino taunted. Cedus looked back and forth between the bandit and his idiot of a friend, before shaking his head and drawing his sword.

As the bandit swung his greatsword at Imino, Cedus charged in, blocking the sword with his barrel lid. The sword got stuck, and as the bandit tried to pull it out, he ended up just wrenching Cedus back and forth.

“Let go of my sword, scum!”

“Let go of my shield first, bitch!” Cedus yelled, kicking him in the shin.

The bandit stumbled, shaking out his leg as Cedus swung his sword at the bandit’s head, causing him to stumble back again.

“Keep doing that, I have an idea!” Imino shouted, raising his bow once more.

“This better be good, Imino! You owe me fucking huge for this!” Cedus had abandoned trying to get the barrel lid back, so the bandit was just holding onto a pretty useless sword. Cedus swung his sword again, and body slammed into the bandit, getting him closer and closer to the ledge. 

“Get out of there!” Imino shouted. Cedus jumped back as Imino let another arrow fly, hitting the bandit in the head again. The bandit stumbled back, tripping over the short railing, and falling over the side. 

“That, uh…” Cedus wiped his face. They heard the bandit chief finally land on the ground with a dull thud. “I wasn’t expecting that to work.”

“Yeah, neither was I.”

“How are we getting out of here, by the way?”

Imino looked behind him into the cave. “I mean, we could _try_ sneaking back out, but if someone catches us, we’re fucked.”

“I have an idea,” Cedus said, looking down the side of the mountain.

“Fuck no!” Imino protested immediately.

“Come on, it’d be faster. We’re not even that far from the ground.”

“We’re far enough that if we slip, we’ll fucking die, you idiot.”

“Fine, fine, I’m just trying to get us home faster.” Cedus turned around. “Aetherius, would you look at the size of that chest?”

Imino walked down towards Cedus, and his jaw dropped at the size of the chest. There was a coin-purse sitting next to it that Imino scooped up. “Is it immoral to steal from bandits?”

“Nah, it should be fine.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen this many septims in one place before,” Imino said, awed.

Cedus cracked open the chest, whistling at the sight. “There’s so much stuff in here. We could make a fortune selling these!”

“Do we have enough space to carry all of this?”

“We’re gonna fucking try!”

* * *

**The 2nd of Mid Year, 4E 197- Before Dawn**

This was a stupid plan.

The boys had put everything they could fit into their knapsacks, and carried as much as they could as they tried to walk back through the bandit camp.

Imino barely breathed as they walked back through the camp, stepping over the snoring bandits once more. 

When they reached the entrance, they prepared for the worst, considering they only took out one of the guards, but the other was asleep at a table, empty ale bottles scattered around him.

The horse was still tied up, and the bandit chief’s body was questionably close to it. As they loaded their things onto the horse, Imino tapped Cedus.

“What should we bring from the bandit chief?”

Cedus shrugged. “His sword, I guess?”

“What if that’s not enough to prove that we took him out?”

“I mean, it’s not like we can load him onto the horse and bring him with us to the Jarl, right?”

* * *

**The 2nd of Mid Year, 4E 197- Dawn**

“Why in Oblivion would you decide that it was a good idea to place a dead man on your horse and bring him with you to the Jarl?!” Irileth fumed as Jarl Balgruuf and his brother stifled their giggles.

“I just wanted to prove that we took care of him! I couldn’t figure out how else to do that!” Imino protested.

“His sword would’ve been plenty!”

“What if he didn’t have a sword?”

“But he does!”

“Housecarl,” Cedus jumped in. “We meant no disrespect. We just want to collect the bounty and move on. But, uh, seeing as we’re here… what should we do with the body?”

Irileth sputtered before walking away. Jarl Balgruuf could no longer hold back, and laughed loudly.

“This is not what I imagined waking to, boys,” he said. “Why, if someone as small as the two of you could take care of them, perhaps Avenicci was wrong, and we could’ve spared the manpower to wipe the entire cave, instead of just the leader!”

Imino bristled at being called small, but Cedus patted him to placate him.

“With all due respect, my Jarl, like I said to your housecarl, we really just need the money.”

“Of course, of course, my boy!” He crowed. “Avenicci, give them the gold, and call for my guards to remove the body.”

“Yes, Jarl,” Avenicci said, walking up to them. “Here is your reward, for services rendered. And, a word of advice, for next time- maybe don’t bring your horse into Dragonsreach?”

Jarl Balgruuf and his brother laughed again, cheering. Cedus turned red, and they took the gold and left.


End file.
